Electrical connector.



E. B. WILCOX. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE is, 1915.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

. socket of the one wire, or grounded, type.

. lamp.

Inthat form with suitable contact pieces 4-. and 5 at the PATENT FlFllC EDSON B. WILCOX, 0F MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed June 18, 1915. Serial No. 34,826.

nections which are particularly useful in connection with electric lighting circuits.

At the present time in automobile practice it is common to employ two different types of plug and socket connections for lamps and the like, namely, sockets and plugs of the one wire or grounded type, and sockets and plugs of the two wire or insulating type. By reason of this practice it is necessary for a dealer to keep in stock lamps of both styles.

My invention aims at providing an improved plug and socket construction wherein the construction is such that the plugs and sockets are interchangeable and may be universally employed so far as concerns the effecting. of an electrical connection. By my improvement the dealer is saved the necessity of keeping in stock for example lamps of both styles.

' I will show and describe herein my invention as applied to an "incandescent lamp, although it should be understood that it is not necessarily limited to this use.

In the drawingsFig.ure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a lamp and socket assembled, the socket being of the two wire, or all insulated type. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same lamp associated with a Fig. 3 is a perspective view of part of the socket. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the oflamp shown in the drawings, the said lamp comprises the usual bulb 1'. and filament 2 mounted directly upon a plug. The plug comprises the outer metallic sleeve 3 and the central core or stopper 3 through which the ends of the filament pass and in which they are insulated from each other. The filament ends are provided rear end .of the plug andlocated at opposite sides of the center thereof to afford two spaced contact points suitable for sockets of the all metallic or insulated type as later described. The contact piece 4: is electrically connected not only with one end of the filament, but also with the metallic sleeve 3, the connection preferably being effected by means of a small wire 6 which may be easily severed for the purpose hereinafter described. The contact piece 5 has an electrical extension 5 which is exposed at the center of the rear end of the plug, so thatthe plug may not only be used with a socket of the aforesaid type, but may also be used with. a socket adaptedto the one wire or grounded system.

In Fig. 1, 7 represents a socket in the bottom of which is located on opposite sides of the center the two insulated contact members 8 and 9 of an electric circuit.

In Fig. 2, 7 represents a socket of the grounded type in which 11 represents a central contact piece in the bottom of the socket which is connected with the one wire of the circuit, while the metallic sleeve or socket wall is connected'with the grounded end of the circuit as shown.

When the plug is inserted in the socket shown in Fig. 1, electrical connection is effected by means of the contact 9 bearing against the contact 5, and the contact 8 bearing against the contact 4. If the plug is used with a socket of the type shown in Fig. 2, electrical connection is effected by means of the central terminal 11 bearing against the central plug contact 5*, and the contact of the socket wall 7* against the metallic side contact 3 of the plug, which latter is electrically connected through the medium of wire 6 with the end contact 4 of the plug. It will thus be seen that the plug construction shown herein may be successfully employed with a. socket of either of the types shown. The plug has in effect, therefore, four contact points, namely the three end contact points indicated at 4, 5 and 5 and the one side contact 3. The plug contacts +5 are electrically connected. the two end contacts 5-5 of the plug are electrically connected, While the end contact 4 and the side contact 3 of the plug areelect-rically connected preferably by a severable wire 6.

In some cases the lamps or other translat ing devices are-operated in series, as in the case of two head light-s. In such a case the wire 6 should be severed'in each of the plugs.

I have shown herein a preferred form ofmechanical connection between the plug and socket comprising the usual bayonet connection in which 12 is a pin on the plug and 13 is a bayonet slot in the socket designed to receive the pin. -In such cases it is preferable that the socket contact pieces 8, 9 and 11 should be yieldingly mounted as shown in the drawings, so as to press outwardly against the plug thus holding the mechanical connection against danger of accidental disengagement.

i What I claim is:

1. In a plug and socket connection, a plug having therein the .two ends of a circuit Copies of this patent may be obtained for wire, two contacts at the rear of the plug and on opposite sides of the center thereof to which said wire ends are connected, a

third contact in substantiallv'the center of the rear end of the plug and electrically connected with one of the aforesaid end contacts, and a fourth contact on the side of the plug electrically connected with the other of said end contacts.

2. In a plug and socket connection, a plug having therein the two ends of a circuit wire, two contacts at the rear of the plug and on opposite sides of the center thereof to which said wire endsare connected, a third contact in substantially the center of the rear end of the plug and electrically connected with one of the aforesaid end contacts, and a fourth contact on the side of the plug with a severable electric connection between said Lfirst mentioned contacts.

fourth contact and the other of said end,

having two contacts at its rear end and on opposite sides of the center thereof, a circuit wire carried by the plug, the endsof said wire being electricallv connected to said two contacts, a third contact located'substantially in the center of the rear end of the plug and electrically connected withione of the aforesaid end contacts adjacent thereto, a fourth contact on the side of the plug with means for electrically connecting said. side contact with the other of said end contacts. 4. In ,an electric connection, a plug and a socket, one of said parts having two electric terminals, the other having two contactsfor end engagement and located on the opposite sides of thecenter thereof and insulated from each other, a third contact in substantially the center thereof and electrically connected with one of the first mentioned contacts, and a fourth contact for side engagement with meansfor electrically connecting the same with the other of said first mentioned contacts. I c

5. In an incandescent lamp, a filament,a bulb inclosing the same, a plug, two contacts at the rear end of said plug insulated from each otherand on opposite sides of the center, the'ends of'said filament being elec'-' trically connected with saidcontacts, a third contact in substantially the center of the rear end of the plug and means for electrically connecting the same with one of said first mentioned contacts, afourth contact'at the side of the plug with means for electricallyconnecting the same with the other ofsaid EDSON B, WiLco XQ five cents each, by addressing the f fiommis sio'ne'r of Patents. Washington, D. C. 1 a '1 

